By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: Delwyn Verasamy
President Cyril Ramaphosa has in terms of Section 175(1) appointed Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi SC as an Acting Justice of the Constitutional Court.
The appointment will run from 01 June 2026 to 30 November 2026.
His appointment comes after Ramaphosa named two women judges earlier this month, making the court one of the worlds few female-majority top courts.
Despite no official word from Ngcukaitobi or the president’s office, this move marks a significant shift in the highest court, with anticipation building for his upcoming cases.
Ngcukaitobi has rapidly developed a reputation for himself as a prominent and talented advocate. He is particularly well recognised for his work on high-profile public and constitutional law cases.
He has served as an acting judge in the Labour Court, Land Claims Court, and High Court of South Africa, proving his versatility.
Born in Cala, a small town in the Eastern Cape, a towering figure in South African law.
After graduating with his LLB from WSU’s Mthatha campus in 1999, he didn’t stop there—earning Master’s degrees from Rhodes University and the London School of Economics. His early career included clerking for former Chief Justice Pius Langa, a gig that sharpened his legal chops and set him on a path to greatness.
Outside the courtroom, his books—The Land Is Ours: South Africa’s First Black Lawyers and the Birth of Constitutionalism (2018) and Land Matters: South Africa’s Failed Reforms and the Road Ahead (2021)—have cemented his status as a thought leader, unpacking the history and future of justice in South Africa.